emmens



(No Model.)

S. H. EMMBNS.

CARTRIDGE.

no 9. wm m* m Lum W l w 2E l @Y 6 9@ Www/A w 1w., r m M d N E@ n H7 h T S l F J u, MWL W 7, Dow K A 1 s .J w 3 W7 e O z N www N. PETERS. Phomumngmpher. wmhmgwn, D. cy

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

STEPHEN H. EMMENS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

CARTRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,386, dated. February 26, 1889.

Application filed February 8, 18881.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that l, STEPHEN HENRY EM- MENS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of London, in England, temporarily residing at New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ammunition, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is intended to facilitate the successful employment of high explosives as propelling agents in the ammunition of ordnance and smaller fire-arms.

The invention consists, primarily, in a cartridge containing a .charge or charges of l a high explosive, and having an elastic or yielding cushion inclosing the same, whereby the v forcing detonator for each charge of the same,

and, ift-hly, in a peculiar combination and arrangement of part-s in' a cartridge for heavy ordnance, as hereinafter more fully set forth and' claimed.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this speciiication as part thereof.

Figure l of the drawings represents an axial longitudinal section, partly in elevation, showin'g the construction of a powder-cartridge for heavy ordnance embodying all the several features of the present invention. Fig. lX represents a half cross-section on the linel a: 0:, Fig. l. Fig. 2 represents an axial longitudinal section of a cartridge for machinegunsembodying the main features of the invention. Fig. 2l' represents a cross-section on the line y y, Fig. 2. Figs. 3 and #i repre-l sent axial longitudinal sections, respectively, of a rie or pistol cartridge and one for shot-- gunsembodying the same invent-ion in part. Fig. 4Z represents a cross-section on the line Serial No. 263,372. (No model.)

e e, Fig. et; and Fig. 5 represents a face view and axial section, on a larger scale, of either of the primers represented in Figs. 1,2, 3, and 4.

In each of said cartridges there is an elastic or yielding cushion, A, or A2, or A3, or A4, having one or more longitudinal chambers, B, charged with emmensite or other high explosive, and in addition to a primer,7 O, there is also in each a re-enforcing detonator, D, for each of said chambers B, to insure the complete explosion of the high explosive. The cushion A is preferably in each case a single cylinder of soft wood. The chambers B may conveniently be formed as cylindrical bores, as represented. The primer C is preferably of the peculiar construction shown in Fig. 5, where w represents a metallic cup partly filled with a suitable fulminate-as fulminate of mercury-and n represents an anvil part in the form of a sleeve with int-urned fingers at one end, against which the fulminate is driven when said cup w is struck lby an ordinary firing pin or hammer. The iingers may of course be more or less numerous, and the primer will be of suitable sizes, as indicated. A simple cylindrical recess, u, Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, accommodates this form of primer, and a simple hole, t, admits the iiame therefrom to the interior of the cartridge. The re-enforcing detonators D may be ordinary percussion detonators, of sizes proportioned to the weight of the individual charges 0f high explosive.

In the cartridge for ordnance represented by Figs. land 1X the charges of high explosive in said chambers B are accelerating-charges, the cartridge being further provided with a metallic tube, E, preferably of steel, closed at its breech end, where the primer-recess u and name-hole t of this cartridge are formed therein. The bore F of this tube contains a starting-charge, preferably of gunpowder or other suitable low explosive, and its front end is closedv by a plug, G, Fig. l, preferably of wood. Said tube E is preferably arranged within an axial recess in the cushion A, and a pair of said chambers B is arranged diametrically opposite each other in the annular body of the cushion and closed at their front ends byplugs H, Fig. l.

The latter (H) are IOO carried by a metallic Wad, I, Fig. l, preferably of copper, and swelled in the center, as shown, the front ends of the cushion A, tube E, and plug G being shaped to fit the convex back of this Wad. A second pair of accelerator-chambers, B', (represented in Fig. IX and by dotted top and bottom lines in Fig. l) provided with plugs ll, Fig. l, longer than said plugs H, and one or more other pairs could obviously be added in like manner, each With plugs longer than those of the preceding pairs, or adapted in an equivalent Way to be opened successively. The cartridge is terminated by a wad, J, Fig. l, preferably of Wood-which is aligned with said metallic Wadl I by a central projection, s, Fig. l, on one of these Wads, fitting a socket in the other wad.

In firing said cartridge for ordnance the iiame from the primer C is admitted by the hole t to the starting-charge Within t-he central chamber, F, which thus explodes first, and starts the Wads with the projectile in front of them, and then the pairs of high-explosive charges in the chambers B B are fired in succession, as the several pairs of 'plugs H H are successively Withdrawn from said chambers B .B hence the inertia of the projectile is overcome Without any great initial strain on the Walls of the gun, and accelerated motion is produced by the successive explosions of the high-explosive charges. The tendency to local action in the case of these charges is overcome or controlled, first, by the elastic-or yielding nature of the cushion A surrounding them, as aforesaid, and, secondly, by the Wads I .I and the projectile being already in motion, and thus producing a line of least resistance in a direction in which the force of the high explosive can be usefully exerted.

In the cartridge for machine-guns (represented by Figs. 2 and QY) a metallic shell, K, is provided with the primer-recess u and flamehole t, and, together with a bullet, L, Fig. 2, incloses the cushion A2 with its charges and detonators. The cushion 'is provided with a central metallic tube, E2, having a bore, F, loaded with a starting-charge of gunpowder or other low explosive and in direct communication with the firing-primer C. The front end of this tube is plugged by a detonator, D, and a recess, r, is formed in the base of the bullet to receive this detonator when the starting-charge explodes. The re-enforeing detonators D are arranged in similar recesses in the base of the bullet, as shown in Fig. 1. The chambers B, coinciding with said detonators D, contain accelerating-charges of emmensite or other high explosive, and are arranged in the annular body of the cushion A2, so as to equalize the lateral strain produced by the accelerating explosion, as illustrated by Fig. 2y. Two, three, or more may be so arranged. Then the cartridge is fired,.the central charge in the bore F starts the bullet 'L and explodes the detonator D which an instant later explodes the acceleratin g-charges in the several chambers B simultaneously, together with the re-enforcing detonators D, which insure the complete explosion of these charg s, v any undue strain on the walls of the gun being prevented by the effect of the cushion A2, as aforesaid.

rPhe ri fie or pistol cartridge (represented by Fig. 3) has a metallic shell, K, and recessed bullet L, Fig. 3, substantially similar to those just described. with the cushion A4, Figs. l and 4") has a single chamber, B,which is charged with emmensite or any other suitable high explosive. The complete explosion of this charge is insured by the said re-enforcing detonator D of the cartridge, which is driven forward into the recess r in t-he base of the bullet by the initial explosion of the charge as fired by the primer C, and undue strain on the barrel of the weapon is prevented by the effects of the cushion A3, as aforesaid.

The shotgun-cartridge (represented by Figs. 4 and 4Z) is similar to said rifle or pistol cartridge, except that the front end of its cushion AL1 is beveled, and a correspondingly-bev eled wad, M, having a central recess Within which the re-enforcing detonator D is arranged, closes the chamber B in front. The shot N may be confined in front of the wad M in any approved Way.

Other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. For example, in the cartridge for heavy ordnance Vthe chambers B may be arranged in groups of three or more, each distributed so as to equalize lateral strain. Details which have not been specified may be of any approved description. 1

I am aware of the gun-cotton cartridges set forth in Revys British Patent No. 1,300, A. D. 1865, and hereby disclaim the broad idea of subdividing the charge of a cartridge into starting and accelerating portions, together with the employment of divisional tubes 0.11 partitions of paper, cardboard, or the like, or of wood. In my cartridges all the charges are inclosed within the yielding cushion, so that its elastic or compressible material is interposed between the charges and the Walls of the chamber of the gun and effectually cushions the blows or shocks of explosion, so as to prevent bursting the gun. Y

Having thus described my said improvement in ammunition, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specificationl. A cartridge containing a propelling charge or charges of a high explosive and having a yielding cushion which incloses the same, so that the elastic or compressible material of said cushion is interposed between said charge or charges and the Walls of the chamber of the gun in which such cartridge is used.

2. A cartridge containingastarting-charge, preferably of a low explosive, and one or more accelerating-charges of high explosive, and having a yielding cushion which incloses all Its cushion A3T (in commonv IOO IIO

the charges, so that its elastic or compressible material is interposed between said charges and the Walls of the chamber of the gun in Awhich such cartridge is used.

3. A cartridge containing a starting-charge,

preferably of a low explosive, and two or more accelerating-charges of a high explosive inclosed Within longitudinal chambers in an elastic or yielding cushion, and havinga Wad carrying plugs of different lengths, which close the front ends of said chambers and open them successively, substantially as hereinbefore specied.

l 4. The combination, in a cartridge, of a propelling charge or charges of a high explosive, a yielding cushion which incloses the same, a ring-primer at the initial firing-point, and at a distance therefrom a re-enforcing detonator in contact with each charge of high explosive to insure the full explosion of the latter, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination, in a cartridge for heavy ordnance, of an annular Wooden cushion provided with longitudinal chambers charged with a high explosive, a central metallic tube closed at its breech end and provided with an external recess containing a iirin g-p ri mer and with a bore connected with said recess by a dame-hole and charged with a low explosive, a wooden plug fitted to the front end of said bore, a superposed metallic wad carrying Wooden plugs which close the front end of said highexplosive chambers, and re-enforcing detonators Within the front ends of the chambers last named, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

STEPHEN H. EMMENS.

Witnesses:

L. SCHNEIDER, NEWTON W. EMMENs. 

